The Burns Lake Chamber of Commerce will be losing the visitor information centre starting next year.

The Village of Burns Lake, has decided to not renew the Visitor Information Centre Operating Agreement with the chamber, effective Dec. 31, 2020 and instead will be handing over the reigns of the visitor centre to the village’s economic development department.

This move is part of the village’s tourism plan.

Under the new management structure, the village will be hiring a full-time tourism coordinator, job posting for which has already been issued. The coordinator will will be responsible for implementing the tourism plan, managing the day-to-day operation of the Visitors Information Centre and working closely with local tourism stakeholders to develop actions from the plan that support the growth of tourism in the Lakes District.

“The village will be working to develop Burns Lake and the surrounding area as a tourist destination. Our marketing efforts will focus on building on our new community brand and growing the community’s profile throughout the region,” said Sheryl Worthing, the village’s chief administrative officer.

The village has been working on their tourism plan and have been investing towards a new marketing strategy to turn tourism into the factor that would diversify the local economy. The village council also finalized on a new logo as part of the new tourism plan.

Some of the action plans under the tourism plan are to hire a tourism coordinator, develop a tourism committee, adopt a digital marketing strategy to replace the printed visitor guide, develop promotional plans for tourism and improving wayfinding.

“We believe that Burns Lake has an opportunity to leverage its existing assets to increase visitors and strengthen the local economy. The Visitor Information Center is central to the development of the tourism industry in the area. The Visitor Information Centre under the Economic Development Officer’s direction will help us develop a management framework that will increase tourism growth in our area,” said Mayor Dolores Funk in the media release issued by the village.

Currently the chamber is in the process of packing up at their present location and is now looking for a rental space to continue its operations.

Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar

priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net

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